The Strange Courtship of Nicholas J Fury and Maria C Hill
by Still Waters
Summary: A Hill/Fury twist on the OTP 30 day challenge.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay. I know. I have multiple stories going on. I'm still working on them all. Though the response to the last update of Complications... Sorry. Anyway. Four ongoing stories, several little one shot ideas percolating. Then, I started seeing several writers doing this OTP 30 day challenge, giving me some lovely CaptainHill reading. Since others did it so well, I figured no one needed my angle. Then my mind turned to one of my other pairings and the ideas started popping. Here's day 1. _

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><p><span>Holding Hands<span>

Explosions continued to rock the helicarrier as they made their way through the debris strewn corridor. The ventilation system worked hard to clear the air, but was barely keeping up as smoke continued to pour into the hallway.

Nick leaned heavily his second in command as she half carried, half dragged him him through the wreckage. They paused a moment as a coughing fit claimed more of his rapidly dwindling energy reserves. Maria propped him up against the wall as she studied the scene around them.

"How much farther to the backup bridge?" she questioned.

He coughed a few more times then looked around, He took note of the markings on the wall, figuring where they were and where they were going.

"Down 4 more decks, little more to the center," he told her.

She studied him for a few moments. "Are you going to be able to make it?"

"Don't have much choice, do I?"

"I could make it faster on my own," she told him.

He knew she was right. She was small and limber and could navigate the piles of rubble with relative ease. Even healthy and uninjured, Nick was more limited. The injuries he had suffered in the attack further limited his mobility and he had been leaning heavily on Maria during their trek.

Had the circumstances been different, both would have enjoyed the closeness, but, as always, the personal had to take a backseat to the needs of SHIELD.

"You could," he agreed, "but it wouldn't do you any good." When she raised a questioning eyebrow, he shrugged. "It will only open to my hand print."

"Well, that wasn't very well thought out, was it?" she retorted.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't want anyone I didn't trust being able to access it."

"And since you really don't trust anyone other than yourself..."

He looked at her sheepishly. "I'm trying."

It was her turn to shrug. "Old habits die hard. I certainly know that better than most."

"I'll fix the access issue when we fix..." He looked around. "Everything else," he sighed.

"Great for the future," she answered, "but for now, we have to get you down there." She considered for a moment. "It's just your hand print that's needed, right?"

"What?"

"All I really need is your hand," she repeated.

"I'm rather attached to my hand," he reminded her.

She waved off his statement with a straight face as she pulled out a knife.

"Hill," he protested.

"No big deal," she told him. "If we're quick enough, the surgeons should be able to reattach it without too much trouble. If not, you'll adjust. You do fine with just one eye and besides, they're doing amazing things with prosthetics these days."

His eye narrowed as he studied her. "Sorry, but, no. As anxious as you seem to be to slice me up, that wouldn't work. The system detects not only my hand print, but also pressure."

"I can press it against the panel."

"Body temperature."

"I'll be quick and carry it under my shirt."

"And pulse."

She chewed her lip. "Yeah. That could be a problem." Finally, she tucked the knife away with a grin. "I guess we'd best leave it where it's at.."

"Though you did say something about having it under your shirt," he murmured in a low voice.

She looked to the ceiling as the carrier shook from another explosion.

"Remind me of that later," she told him. "Now, we need to get to the backup command center."

As he nodded his agreement, she moved to his side, ducking under his good arm and wrapping her arms around him. His other arm was held tight against his chest in a makeshift sling to immobilize his dislocated shoulder.

With a deep breath, he pushed away from the wall, trying to rely more on his own strength and less on that of the woman next to him.

When they they finally reached the location, he struggled to pull his arm from the sling. "Got to be the right hand," he explained.

Maria reached over and raised his palm to the recessed panel, gently straightening his fingers. He grimaced as he struggled to press against the pad and she pressed her hand against his, applying the needed pressure to the sensor. While it processed his information, she studied the contrast.

Her always fair skin looked even paler next to the rich chocolate shade of his. It also looked small and delicate, something she rarely thought about herself.

He had that effect on her. When they worked, things were strictly professional. He gave orders. Sometimes, she obeyed, sometimes she argued. They discussed, agreed, and disagreed. In private, though, he made her feel special. Treasured.

She realized her thumb was gently stoking his hand and started to pull away. Before she could, he shifted his fingers slightly, catching hers between his. She looked up to find him smiling at her.

_Password_? the computer asked.

Removing his hand from the panel, he put his other hand over hers, sandwiching it between his two larger ones.

"Nick loves Maria," he answered the machine.

She gaped at him a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Really?"

"Didn't figure anyone was likely to guess it," he told her with a shrug, He studied their joined hands as they waited for the computer.

_Identity confirmed_

The door opened and the duo entered the dark room, still hand in hand.

"Power," he ordered.

With a soft hum, the lights came on and they looked around, watching as systems around the room began to power up.

"Are we going to do this alone?" she asked.

"Nope. I entered a list of trusted staff members who were to be informed and directed here when the system was powered up."

He nodded as her communication device suddenly started vibrating.

"Just like that."

He lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm.

"What say we take back control and kick those mother f-ers off our helicarrier?"

"Sounds like a plan," she replied, squeezing his hand before pulling away. "Sounds like a plan."

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><p><em>That's day 1. I have thoughts on most of the other prompts. I'd love to know what you think. Do you want more? Let me know. Pretty please?<em>


	2. Cuddling

_Forgot to mention: this series isn't really related to my other Hill/Fury story, Risks. Each series stands on it's own. Also, Avengers, Maria, Nick, etc, do not belong to me and I'm making no profit and whatever disclaimers should be applied her. You know the ones._

_Ella: Here's your 'more.' Hope you like._

_keamlkntl: I hope to have the next chapter of Risks up in the next few days. I thought I'd have it ready earlier, but I got handed a big project at work. Next weekend at the latest (hopefully). Glad you like this, too. And if you want to write, go for it. What's the worst that could happen?_

_sailorraven34: Thank you. I really like this duo, too. I hope you continue to enjoy._

_Divinia Serit: Thanks. Glad you like. Not sure if I can really qualify for OTP writing, since I have 3 different pairings going, but, whatever. Since you, CaptainHillShipper, LokisArmy, and MBrabs have or are doing Steve/Maria so beautifully, I figured I'd work with a different duo. _

_Thank you for the lovely reviews and favorites and follows. I know this isn't a really common pairing and wasn't sure how well received this would be. I hope you like chapter 2 as well. _

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><p><span>Cuddling Somewhere<span>

Maria Hill stepped out of the cockpit of the plane. She caught Nick's eye and shook her head.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked. "You barely glanced in."

"When there's that much blood, bone, and brain matter splattered around, it doesn't take exactly take a medical degree to be sure that someone is dead."

"But you can land the plane, can't you?"

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, when the bullet exited the pilot's head, it buried itself in the instrument panel. I think it took a couple of wild shots, too. Completely useless."

"Any good news?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Fuel appears to be almost gone. Already started losing altitude."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's good news?"

"Since the area we're over is pretty much unpopulated, we shouldn't cause too much damage when we crash. And recent rainfall has things wet enough to keep the fire risk low. With the tracker activated on the case, the recovery team should be able to find it pretty easily." They both eyed the stainless steel case cuffed to Nick's wrist.

"Then, there's this," she added, holding up a parachute.

He shook he head. "Don't you think maybe you should have led off with that little discovery?"

"That would have been no fun," she answered, crossing to where he stood. She held out the straps, helping him to carefully maneuver the case through the opening, then proceeded to assist him to don the pack.

She checked and double checked each and every strap and buckle, tugging to reassure herself that everything was tight. Finally, she made sure the ripcord was free and stepped back with a satisfied nod.

He looked at her expectantly. "Where's yours?"

"You go ahead," she told him. "I'll get mine on and follow shortly."

His eyes narrowed. "Where is your parachute, Maria?" he repeated.

She looked away, mumbling something.

He stepped close. "Sorry. I didn't hear that."

With a sigh, she looked him in the eye. "I said, it went out the door at the same time Zhou did."

Wu Zhou had been sent to accompany them to deliver top secret technology to his government. Midflight, he pulled a gun, strapped on a parachute and pushed open the door, revealing that he had decided instead to sell it to another interested party if they would be so kind as to turn it over to him.

Of course, a fight had ensued. He had gotten off several shots, one of which had ended the life of the plane's pilot. Maria had been hit as well, a bullet passing through her bicep as she had moved to protect Nick in the confined space.

The fight had ended when Nick's punch had knocked Zhou off balance and he had fallen out the open plane door. Several other items had slid out the door as well and Nick had had to scramble to keep himself from joining them. Though they had watched closely, they had never seen the parachute open and speculated that he had not been able to pull the cord.

Neither were particularly upset by the thought.

"There should be one more," Nick told her. "Four people, four chutes, right?"

She nodded towards the pack, a large knife sticking out of it. "I used it as a shield when he threw the knife at me."

"And you were going to just let me jump while you went down with the plane?" He started unbuckling his harness, but she reached to still his hands.

"You have to, Nick. You're more valuable than I am."

Sighing, he shook his head and grabbed up a length of rope. "We'll debate that another time."

He took the end of the rope and quickly tied it around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Improvising," he replied, wrapping an arm around her to pull her close. He started winding the rope around both of them.

"You can't be serious," she protested.

"Very serious," he told her, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I can't just leave you behind I won't leave you behind."

She shook her head, but before she could comment, he continued. "You can argue with me or you can give me a hand," he told her, indicating the case in his hand.

With a sigh, she grabbed the rope. They worked together, passing it back and forth to tie them together.

"We don't know if the chute can handle both of us or if this is going to work," she commented, tugging slightly at the rope.

"One way to find out," he told her with a grin, stepping towards the opening.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his side.

Shaking her head, she made sure the ripcord was free, wrapped her arms around him, and stretched up for a kiss.

"So, let's find out."

She wrapped her legs around his as he stepped out into nothingness. He squeezed tight as the rush of wind tried to pull her away from him. Her hand grasped the handle of the cord and she tapped his chest, counting down the seconds. When she moved to pull it, he tightened his grip on her as the chute deployed, slowing their descent with a sudden jerk.

They both gazed upward, watching the silk unfold above them. When it was fully spread and showing no problems, her gaze dropped to find him grinning at her.

"The things I do to get you in my arms," he told her.

"Next time, just ask."

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><p><em>So, what do you think? Feedback craved. Clearly, my 30 day challenge will take more than 30 days, but I'll keep posting something every few days as long as there seems to be interest in it. <em>


	3. Watching a Movie

_The characters are still the property of Marvel, not me. Sigh. Oh, well. I can still have fun with them. _

_sailorraven 34: So glad to know I make you smile. I'm trying to come up with slightly...different...angles on these prompts. Hopefully, something a little unexpected on most of them, anyway._

_Ella: Thanks. Glad you like_

_Wicked Chameleon: Thank you. Posted a new chapter of 'Risks' last week (in case anyone missed it?) and am currently working on the next chapter of Stroll. I'm not sure when it will be ready, but soon, I hope. _

_All For Jesus: Fluff is good, right? I'm having fun with it. _

_Your feedback is appreciated more than you know. Now, on to day 3._

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><p><span>Movie Night<span>

Maria resisted the urge to double check her disguise. That was always a dead give away, someone fiddling with their clothing. Fortunately, the weather was cool enough that the bulky sweats and jacket she wore blended with the rest of the crowd on the bustling sidewalk. Her hair was tucked up in a dark colored knit cap, her face mostly covered by a scarf and oversized sunglasses.

She couldn't believe she was doing this. That Nick was making her do this.

There was no way she should have lost that bet. Betting on Stark being snarky should have been a sure thing. It usually was

But not this time.

She and Nick had been observing the crowd of reporters gathered for the Stark Industries press conference. The subject of the press conference was a series of photos that had been sent back from a Stark Industries satellite.

Photos of the planet Uranus.

"There is no way he can resist making a crack about that," she whispered to Nick.

"Like that one?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged.

"I don't know," he told her, looking towards where Stark's team was working to prepare him. "Ms. Potts was giving him a pretty serious lecture."

"Won't matter," she replied.

"Want to bet?" he asked, holding out his hand. "Winner's choice?"

That had become their default bet. Instead of the stakes being set beforehand, the winner got the decide the price once the bet was won. They did have guidelines.

Nothing dangerous. Which was relative in their line of work.

Nothing that would cause any issues with their authority..

So, while Nick couldn't wear the pink tutu in the command center, her bedroom had been an entirely different story. In fact, many of their bets ended up involving bedroom activities.

"Winner's choice," she agreed, reaching out to shake his hand.

Incredibly, Stark had kept to the straight and narrow, ignoring even the most leading of questions from the press.

"Movie night," Nick told her.

That didn't sound so bad.

"I choose, you procure."

She could handle that. He liked action movies. War movies. Horror, maybe. It should be simple. Set up a Netflix account. Or even just have JARVIS pull it up.

"Sure," Nick told her with a grin. "If you want it showing up on your history."

'Must be porn,' she figured. Still shouldn't be an issue. Surely he couldn't imagine that she would be intimidated to walk into one of the numerous 'adult' stores in the city.

She might even pick up a few extras for their evening.

When he told her what movie, she shook her head.

"Never heard of it," she told him. "Scary movie?"

His smile was a bit unnerving.

"I think you'll be terrified." He then proceeded to explain to her where she would find his selection.

She was horrified. She absolutely couldn't have this one show up on her account, nor could she pull it up at the Avengers Tower. They couldn't even watch it at the tower. JARVIS would know.

Which meant that Stark could find out. She'd never live it down.

But, a bet was a bet, so, here she was.

After a series of bus and subway rides, she stood in front of the big box store.

Strolled in very casually.

Picked up a few things as she wandered through the store.

Socks. Mittens. Soap. Hairbrush.

Finally, back in the movie section, she browsed the shelf, locating her target. But she couldn't bring herself to pick it up just yet. She continued looking.

'Terminator.'

Why couldn't he have picked that? She knew he liked it. They both did.

Placing it in her basket, she continued down the aisle, coming back down the other side. Finally, very casually, she picked it up, gave it a quick glance, shrugged, and dropped it in the basket, sliding it under the other DVD.

Making her way to the register, she paid, cash, of course, and headed back towards the subway station. On the way, the soap was dropped into a church donation box. The hairbrush went into a collection box outside a homeless shelter. The socks she slipped into the shopping cart of a woman passing on the sidewalk.

In a station bathroom, she opened both movie cases. She pried apart the case for 'Terminator' and slipped the other disc behind it, then put the whole thing back together. The empty case went into a trashcan, the plastic bag in another, and the receipt in a third.

On the crowded subway car, the slipped into the space next to a tired looking young woman with a toddler on her lap.

Maria's mind flashed back to her childhood. Stan had been one of the few friends she had. While he had been bundled against the cold, Chicago winter, his mother had worn the same, threadbare coat year after year. She'd had no hat or gloves, claiming that she wasn't bothered by the cold.

Likewise, while the child was well protected, his mother was wearing a light jacket that would barely slow the wind. Before exiting at her stop, Maria surreptitiously pushed the mittens into the woman's pocket. She wished she could think of a way to pass the jacket on, but there was an air of stubborn pride that told her the offer wouldn't be accepted.

Not to mention that it would draw the woman's attention to her.

Back on the street, she followed a meandering path to Don's place.

Don Reardon had been a longtime agent with SHIELD. It had been his whole life. His dedication had left no time for family. Nick had been the closest thing to a friend he had had, the two having worked together on several missions. Only at the insistence of a organization psychologist had he taken the step of purchasing a small, efficiency apartment. When he had quietly passed, he had left instructions for Nick to continue to make use of the off-the-books apartment as a place to occasionally get away from it all.

When Maria arrived at the apartment, Nick had the video system warmed up, the Murphy bed pulled down, and the popcorn ready to microwave.

"Did you get it?" he asked.

Sighing heavily, she pulled the case out of her jacket pocket and handed it to him. He looked at it, then at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Wrong flick," he told her.

With another sigh, she took it from him, pulling the case apart to pull out the requested movie. He grinned and slid it into the machine, then stepped over to start the microwave.

"Take your shoes off and stay awhile," he told her. She flipped him off, then stripped down to a tank top and shorts and climbed into bed.

When he looked her direction, she struck a seductive pose. "Are you sure a movie is what you want right now?" she asked, fishing an ice cube out of her glass and dragging it down her chest to draw his attention to her cleavage.

He brought the large bowl of popcorn and joined her in bed, leaning down to let his tongue trace the path of the water droplets.

"Your choice," he told her, "but you're only delaying the inevitable."

"Fine," she huffed, dropping the ice cube down his shirt.

Glaring, he fished it out and tossed it into the sink, then settled up against the wall as he picked up the remote, working his way through the menu. As the banjo music started, she snuggled close.

"So, what the heck is a Muppet anyway?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Just watch," he told her.

She grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned her focus to the screen.

He did likewise, but soon found his attention shifting back to her. He loved watching her in rare, unguarded moments. Her face could be highly expressive when she allowed. He felt honored to be one of the rew she allowed herself to relax around,

He expression slowly shifted as the movie played. He lips twitched several times in almost smiles.

'Fork in the road," she snorted.

At an unusual sound, he pulled back slightly and looked down at her.

"Was that a giggle?"

"Of course not," she objected. "I don't giggle."

"_That's a myth," _Kermit said on the screen.

"_What?" _the man in the white suit asked.

"_Myth! Myth!" _the frog repeated.

"_Yeth?"_ a woman replied.

The sound came and Maria looked up at Nick. "Okay, so maybe it was a giggle."

He leaned over and kissed her on the nose. "I heard nothing," he assured her.

When the movie came to an end, Nick climbed out of the bed to refill the popcorn and drinks while Maria scrolled through the extras menus, viewing small snatches of this or that.

"What did you think?" he asked, sliding back under the covers next to her.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "It was okay, I guess." She kept her eyes on the screen. "I noticed they had some other 'Muppet' movies, too."

"Several, I think," he agreed.

"I suppose we could watch one of those sometime. When there's nothing else to do," she commented.

"We could," he agreed. "I'll even be the one to pick it up."

"Sounds like a plan," she told him, curling against him against him.

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><p><em>Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed. I'd love to know what you think. I thrive on feedback and it's dropped off on the last couple of story updates. Anyway, working on Stroll and Day 4. Luv to all.<em>


	4. Date Night

_Still property of Marvel and company. I'm just having a little fun with them. _

_sailorraven34: I'm glad I made you laugh. I like to hear that (as long as that's what I meant. I'd probably be a bit embarrassed if someone said one of my love scenes or dramatic scenes made them laugh)_

_LoverofDogs94: I thought about Frozen, but I figured he probably wouldn't have seen anything very recently, particularly kids type movies. And the Muppet Movie is one of my all time favorites._

_Ella: Thanks._

_All For Jesus: Glad you're enjoying. _

_So thankful for all the follows and favorites, too, but I must admit, reviews are my favorites. Here's day 4._

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><p><span>Date Night<span>

Maria sat in a lounge area of Avenger's Tower, skimming through some reports as she tried to ignore Tony Stark. Never an easy endeavor.

Now, he stood in the middle of the room, dozens of images floating in the air around him. He expertly maneuvered them, pulling this one closer, pushing that one away, enlarging or minimizing as he carried on a conversation with Pepper, whose image watched with interest.

"Is that Maria?"

She looked up when she heard Pepper call her name.

He glanced over. "Yeah. Deputy Director Hill. Hard at work No time to chat."

"Hi, Pepper," Maria chimed in, her curiosity aroused by Tony's sudden eagerness to end the call. "Looks like Stark Industries is keeping you as busy as SHIELD is keeping me," she said, leaning back in her chair and watching Tony fidget nervously.

"What is it they say? 'No rest for the weary?'"

"'Wicked,' actually," Maria corrected.

"That, too," the other woman agreed with a smile. "Guess that's why I'm so looking forward to tonight. A chance to sit down and relax with friends. We really appreciate the invitation."

Before Maria could respond, Tony jumped between them. "Talk later, ladies. Lots of work to do. Love you, Pep. See you tonight!" He quickly ended the call and started towards the door.

"Stark!"

He picked up his pace, clearly aiming to be gone before she demanded an explanation.

Suddenly, a bullet slammed into the floor mere inches from his foot. With a startled squeal, he halted suddenly and spun to glare at her. "Are you trying to cripple me?"

"No," she replied, casually sliding her sidearm back into the holster. "If I was trying to cripple you, you'd be in the floor bleeding." She eyed him. "So. Do you want to explain this now, or do I get to beat it out of you?"

He looked uncomfortable. "I suppose I may have told her that you and Patch invited us to join you tonight. Sort of a double date kind of thing."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "And exactly why would you do that?"

"Self preservation," he explained. "Someone at the office offered her tickets to this experimental theater thing tonight. Sounds absolutely horrible. So I told her that we already had plans. I had to come up with something quick, and since I had just finished reading that strange memo Fury sent out about team bonding activities not causing property damage or posing risk to civilians." She opened her mouth to interrupt, but he held up his hand. "If you're going to tell me that memo was in response to that little incident with Clint, Thor and I at the park, no one was ever in any real danger and the property damage was actually quite minimal."

She shook her head again.

"Anyway, I figured a nice, quiet, evening with the Director and Deputy Director would fit within the parameters he laid out."

"So, let me get this straight. You invited yourself and your wife to join Nick and I for a date night. Were you planning on mentioning this or just showing up at our quarters?"

"No. Weren't you listening? You invited us. And I did tell you. Just now."

"And just what are we supposed to do on this double date?"

He looked at her again. "I don't know. You invited us, remember?" He grinned and moved towards the doorway. "You're quick on your feet. You'll come up with something. I told her you were really excited, so it should be something pretty amazing."

As he darted through the doorway, she pulled out her weapon and fired again. Coming back into the room, he stuck his finger in a new hole that had appeared in his tattered sweatpants.

"Hey. These were some of my favorite sweats," he protested.

"That was one of my favorite bullets," she countered with a shrug.

He studied her warily. "I told her we were meeting you here. I figured when you didn't show, I'd just tell her something came up." He watched her gun hand. "Can I go now?"

She waved him off as she re holstered he weapon again and turned back to the chair where she had been sitting earlier.

Only to find it occupied by her boss and lover.

"And that ends that little drama," he intoned.

She glanced around, then slid onto his lap. "I'd think you know me better than that by now," she replied, giving him a hard look. "Stark wants a date night, he's going to get a date night."

He laughed and pulled her close. "That's my girl. What do you need from me?"

XOXOXOX

Later that evening, Tony in a dark gray suit and tie and Pepper in a pale peach sheath dress, entered the lounge area quietly discussing their respective days. She looked at her watch.

"We're running a little late. You don't suppose they got tired of waiting for us already, do you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

The door to the kitchen swung open and Nick walked out carrying a bottle of wine and 4 glasses. Maria was close behind him, appetizer tray in hand.

"Just waiting. We figured that you were probably running on Stark Standard time and would be here about now," the director told them as he set the glasses on the table then turned to take the tray from his girlfriend. He smiled as his gaze took in her short, fitted black skirt and the royal blue silk tank top.

"Have a seat," she told the other two. "Dinner should be ready shortly."

"You cook?" Pepper asked, surprised, as she reached to take the glass Nick offered.

Maria nodded. "Worked my way through college as a cook in a high class restaurant in Chicago."

She accepted her own wine glass and took a sip, covertly watching Tony as he did likewise. His eyes widened slightly as he glanced over at Pepper.

"Interesting little wine," he commented.

Pepper pondered a moment. "Dates?" she finally posed.

Maria nodded with a smile. "It took some searching, but I finally found a small vineyard upstate that makes it."

"Why?" Stark asked.

"I promised you a date night," she shrugged, "So I thought it might be interesting to have a date themed dinner."

"That's so sweet!" Pepper told her. "Tony just loves dates. Remember how excited he was when one of our business partners in California sent that whole case of fresh dates?"

_Actually, Maria remembered just the opposite. While he had put on a happy face for his wife, the agent had overheard him confiding to Bruce that he had never been a big fan of dates, figs, or other similar fruits. When asked why he didn't simply tell her, Tony laughed. "She's already mad at me about that incident at the charity dinner the other night."_

"_You mean when you set her dress on fire?"_

"_It was an accident," he protested. "Regardless, I'm not about to be anything less than appreciative of the effort she put into getting these for me."_

The red-head leaned over and picked up one of the appetizers and studied it.

"Curried Cheddar Date Bites," Maria told her, popping one into her own mouth.

Pepper copied her motion, smiling as the flavor flooded her mouth. "That is delicious, Maria," she told the other woman, choosing another of the morsels for her husband. His smile was somewhat forced as he opened his mouth to accept her offering.

After several minutes, the four moved to the table where Maria set out the chilled salad bowls.

"It's a spinach salad with bacon, dates, and a feta dressing," she told them.

"Lovely," Tony muttered.

Pepper dug in, chewing thoughtfully, then nodded. "Perfect blend of sweet, smoky, and crunchy."

Tony nodded agreement. "Perfect."

After the salad had been consumed, Nick helped her bring out the main course. "Broiled salmon with apple-date chutney and steamed green beans and rice on the side."

The billionaire perked up a bit, forking up a bite of the salmon free of the chutney and some of the rice. "Really good, Hill. Who'd have thought you could be so deadly and yet so talented in the domestic arts, too?" he asked.

"This chutney is amazing, Tony. You really have to try it mixed with the rice," Pepper claimed, leaning over the combine the two on his plate. Smiling, she raised a bite of the mixture to his mouth. With a poorly suppressed sigh, he opened his mouth.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Amazing."

As the evening progressed and conversation flowed smoothly, Maria watched with amusement as Stark picked at his food, carefully rearranging what he didn't eat in an attempt to me it look like he had eaten more than he had.

Finally, Maria looked around the table. "Is everyone ready for dessert now?" she asked.

"Sure. Sounds good," everyone agreed, though Tony sounded somewhat less than enthused.

"Let me give you a hand," Pepper told her, gathering her own and Tony's plates and following the other woman into the kitchen. When the door swung shut behind them, the CEO laughed lightly.

"I don't know what he did to you, but I will certainly try to remember not to piss you off. You have an interesting method if revenge, Ms. Hill."

Maria responded with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Potts?"

"You do know that Tony absolutely abhors dates, right?"

"Really? But you got that whole case for him."

"Exactly. If you recall, that was just a few days after he set me on fire at that charity luncheon that we went to. I know it was an accident, but I had told him several times to stop playing with the candle. I knew that he knew I was angry at him and I just wanted to see how far he would go to make me happy, conveniently forgetting that I knew that dates, figs, prunes...anything similar kind of gags him."

"Hmm," Maria commented.

"And since the 'date night' theme is way too cutesy for you, you had to have an ulterior motive for choosing it."

The agent smiled slightly, her mind already trying to come up with an answer for the question she knew was coming.

"Exactly what did he do?"

"Just a culmination of a lot of little things over time," Maria replied vaguely.

Pepper's eyes went wide. "Oh, no. You didn't invite us out tonight, did you? He did." She looked at the other woman for confirmation. "He really didn't want to go to the theater tonight so he came up with an excuse. I can't believe he would do that to you."

"You can't?"

"Well, yeah, I can. I'm so sorry, Maria. We'll leave."

"And miss out on my date, dried cherry and chocolate torte and date mead?" Maria asked, pulling out the dessert.

"It does sound delicious," Pepper considered.

"Look," Maria pressed. "Stark may have kind of manipulated this whole thing, but I've actually rather enjoyed it. It was fun getting back in the kitchen, looking up recipes. I found so many new ones I want to try. And it's been really nice spending some down time with you. Get to know you a little."

"Yeah, it has," Pepper agreed. "With the added bonus of watching Tony squirm."

"That, too."

The red head picked up the tray of mead and cups. "Time for dessert!"

"Time for dessert," Maria echoed, picking up the torte and leading the way back to the dining area. They moved out onto the outdoor deck to enjoy their dessert under the stars overlooking the lights of the city. Nick, Maria, and Pepper shared secretive smiles as they watched Tony. He took small bites when anyone was watching and snuck pieces onto his wife's plate when he thought no one was. The drink was surreptitiously poured into a nearby potted plant.

Finally, they stood, gathering their dishes and taking them into the kitchen where the housekeeper was already busy cleaning and packing away the leftovers.

"Would you like to take anything with you?" Maria asked Tony sweetly.

"Thanks, but no," he replied, patting his stomach. "I am so full right now. I'm sure some of the other team members would love to benefit from your cooking skills."

They headed towards the penthouse elevator and said their goodnights.

"We'll have to do this again sometime," Nick told the others.

"I'll even plan the next one," Tony offered quickly.

"Sounds good," the others agreed as the Starks stepped into the elevator and headed up to their private quarters.

Nick wrapped his arms around Maria and pulled her in for a deep kiss. "Ready to head back to our place?" he questioned.

She nodded. "Let me grab the rest of the wine." Hand in hand, they headed back into the kitchen.

There, they found Clint, Natasha, Thor, Steve, and Bruce standing around the island, forks in hand. In the middle, the remains of the feast spread in the middle. They all looked up guiltily.

"We've been having to smell this all day," Natasha explained. "It's only fair that we at least get to sample the leftovers."

Maria shrugged. "Help yourselves." She watched just a bit anxiously as the others dug in.

No one spoke for several minutes. Nick finally cleared his throat.

"What do you think?"

Steve swallowed quickly and wiped his mouth. "Sorry. This is delicious, Maria. I had no idea you were such a talented cook."

"Thank you," the deputy director told him. "I've always enjoyed cooking but haven't done much recently.

"You need to get back in practice then," Clint commented. "Maybe start cooking on a regular basis. I think we'd all be willing to do your taste testing."

"I do kind of have a full time job," she reminded them.

"Full time plus, actually," Bruce acknowledged.

Nick shrugged. "Sorry. There's already an excellent cook here and I kind of need her to keep doing the job she already has."

"You know, when I was a kid, my mom used to fix a special dinner for my birthday," Bruce told them.

"Mine, too," Steve added.

"I have a birthday coming up," Natasha told them, spearing another bite of the torte.

"Really?" Clint asked. "You always told me you didn't know when your birthday was."

"Hey, if I can get the deputy director to fix dinner, I can come up with a birthday," the assassin replied.

Maria shrugged, trying to hide her pleasure at their comments.

"We'll see." She picked up the wine bottle and grabbed Nick's hand, tugging him towards the door. "Right now, though, we have a date night to finish up."

Amid a chorus of laughter, they made their way to the elevator to head to their own quarters.

"So, how is this date night finish up?" he asked.

She pulled him close, stretching up for a passionate kiss. "Quite happily," she assured him.

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><p><em>And that's a wrap. The prompt that I saw was actually 'on a date,' but I decided to change it up a bit to serve my own odd ideas. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading. I would love to know what you thought. Other updates are currently in the works and I to have something ready soon. <em>


	5. Kisses

_The creations of the Marvel Universe are still not mine and I'm still not profiting from any of this, other than the sheer joy I get from your lovely feedback._

_sailorraven34: Yeah. Tony. Speak now, deal with the consequences later, though usually his charm can get him out of the consequences. Glad you're enjoying._

_All For Jesus: Yup. Sweet revenge. You do not want to get on the wrong side of the ladies of the tower. _

_Thanks for the favorites, follows, and especially, the lovely reviews. You are the reason I do this. _

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><p><span>Kisses<span>

"Do I really have to put in an appearance at all of these parties?" Nick asked.

"Yes, you do," Maria confirmed. "As the director of SHIELD, you're kind of expected to show up at the different department holiday parties."

"But I don't really want to go and they don't really want me there."

"True, but you still have to go and whining isn't going to get you out of it," she stated firmly.

"I am not whining," he protested.

"Yes, you are," she corrected. "And it's not particularly appealing."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Remember, I have to go, too, and I'm not any more excited about it than you are." She walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "We don't even get to take advantage of the mistletoe."

"We could," he reminded her, leaning down for a kiss. "Completely send the IT department into a frenzy by sharing a big, wet kiss right there in the middle of their party."

"Yeah," she replied, patting him on the chest. "Let's not. There are enough people around here who assume I got my job by sleeping with you."

"Those who matter know the truth," he told her. After another kiss, he sighed and released her. "I suppose we'd better get going."

"I'll make it up to you later," she promised.

Their first stop was Human Resources. There was a definite shift in the mood when they walked into the room. It was silent for several moments before the department head crossed to welcome them, quickly leading them away from the sprig of mistletoe hanging in the middle of the room.

Maria amused herself by greeting many in the room by name, their eyes widening as they wondered why the Deputy Director knew them by name. Soon, they found themselves at the buffet table. Knowing this was only the first of several stops, both took only small samples of a few of the dishes spread out in front of them.

She noticed the barest of smiles flicker across his face. When she caught his eye, he glanced down at her plate. In addition to the items she had placed on her plate, she noticed a familiar, small, foil wrapped drop sporting a slender white flag.

His gaze darted quickly to the sprig of mistletoe and she blinked to acknowledge her understanding.

He would if he could.

She slipped the candy into her jacket pocket and returned her attention to the gathering. After several more minutes of awkward mingling, the administrators discarded their trash and took their leave, heading to the next gathering.

The rest of their day included brief, uncomfortable stops in IT, Cryptography, Linguistics, Medical, and several others. There was little difference from one stop to the next.

Silence upon their entrance.

Brief conversations with department heads.

Concern about Hill knowing names.

Having a perfect memory sure was fun sometimes.

Buffet offerings varied slightly from party to party, but always, there were Hershey's Kisses.

And, always, Nick found a way to slip her one.

When they had put in the expected appearances at the days festivities, they each headed to their own offices to take care of all the things that had come up, holidays be damned.

Deciding she had done enough for the day, she wrapped up and headed to Nick's quarters. After ascertaining that no one was watching, she let herself in, smiling when she saw him sitting at his desk, firing off an e-mail.

She crossed the room, carefully pushing papers aside so she could sit next to his computer. Finally, he clicked to close up the system, then looked up at her with a smile. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the chocolate candies she had collected on their earlier tour.

"I want to trade these in for the real thing," she told him.

He studied the pile, carefully counting her collection, then nodded soberly.

"I think we can do that." He unwrapped one, popped it in his mouth, then gently pulled her onto his lap. After a tender kiss, she picked up another, removed the foil wrapper, and slid it between his lips. The next kiss was a bit more passionate, the one after, even more so. Each a bit deeper and longer until nothing remained but a pile of wadded up foil.

"Now it's your turn," he told her. When she raised a questioning eyebrow, he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a jumbo bag of the sweets.

She laughed and shook her head. "Not only would I put on 50 pounds, I'd be on such a sugar rush I wouldn't come down until next Christmas," she told him.

With a nod, he looked at the pile of wrappers from the ones he had consumed. "Probably so," he agreed. "Just the ones I ate have me wondering if I'll ever sleep again. I swear I can feel the sugar rushing through me."

She turned to straddle him so she could study his face and narrowed her eyes in consideration. "Maybe if we put out heads together, we can come up with some way for you to burn off all that extra energy," she told him.

He pushed back his chair and stood up, holding her waist as she wrapped her legs around him.

"I was actually thinking of putting something other than our heads together," he told her, moving towards his bedroom, "But I suppose that's as good a place as any to start."

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><p><em>And that's day 5. Hope you liked. Reviews craved. On to day 6. Wearing each other's clothes. Could be interesting.<em>


	6. Wearing Each Other's Clothes

_Greetings, dear readers. I hope this update finds you well. Nick Fury, Maria Hill and anything Marvel are not mine. The t-shirt is. You'll understand. _

_Divinia Serit: Thank you kindly for both reviews. Tony is fun to write, though it can be tempting sometimes to go a little too far with him. And I really like the idea of giving Maria a hobby that people wouldn't expect. I also think she gets a kick out of throwing people off balance. And a boss who kind of scares you to death knowing your name would certainly do that. _

_sailorraven34: Glad you liked it. I'm having a lot of fun trying to put an interesting twist on these prompts._

_Thanks to all who read, favorite, follow, and especially my reviewers Now, on to day 6._

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><p><span>Wearing Each Other's Clothes<span>

Maria sat at the table in the fast food restaurant, nursing a cup of coffee as she waited for Nick. She took the gloves he had given her earlier and spread them flat on the table, hoping they would dry a little bit more.

She started, reaching for her weapon when something slammed down on the table in front of her. Recognizing her gym bag, she looked up to find Nick, still shivering in his wet clothes staring down at her.

"No." he stated firmly. "Not just 'no,' but hell no."

She studied the bag, trying to remember what it contained.

The day had started quite unremarkably and the mission had seemed simple enough. They had a witness who had to be transported. The task had become more complicated when they received intel that someone would be gunning for her.

They had decided to go old school. Four identical cars, 4 tall, dark male agents in matching hats and jackets, and 3 female agents and 1 witness in identical jeans and sweaters. Each vehicle set off in a different direction, bearing a male/female duo.

Nick and Maria realized early on that they had picked up a tail. They continued to lead their followers on a convoluted trip while verifying that the other teams, particularly the witness, had a clear path. Finally, the attackers had made their mover, only to be met by the skills of the SHIELD director and deputy director.

The battle was pitched, dozens of shots fired, metal screeching as vehicles became battering rams. The back window and passenger side windows were shattered and the side panels smashed in. The front end was crumpled and it had taken some manhandling to straighten the fender enough for the wheel to be able to turn.

They had, however, gotten the better end of it all. Their pursuers were all dead, either shot or drowned when their car ended up in the icy lake. Nick had also taken a plunge while wrestling one of the men, but had managed to pull himself out.

His phone hadn't been so lucky. Somehow, it had fallen out of his pocket and now resided somewhere in the murky depths. Maria's had remained dry, but had not been able to function after blocking a shot.

Clearly, some work was still needed on their supposed indestructibility.

They took stock of their situation. Both were still alive and relatively unharmed. They had no way to call for backup, but, with luck, their vehicle should get them back to civilization. The missing windows would make for a cold ride, especially for the the drenched man. Since he had taken a blow to the head and the daylight was fading, it was decided that she was the better choice to drive the return trip. He had handed her his gloves. Though they had been in his pocket and had gone into the lake with him, the quick dry fabric did offer some protection for her chilled fingers.

Nick, though, sat and shivered, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Maria recalled the gym bag she had tossed in the trunk of the car before leaving base. It was a long ingrained habit and she had grabbed the one from the back of her personal vehicle. It had been in there so long that she wasn't even sure what was in there. When she mentioned it, he laughed.

"I can't imagine that anything in your bag would fit me."

She shrugged. "I usually have something really loose fitting with me," she told him. "It might fit, and at least it's dry." While he pondered, she nodded towards a fast food place coming up. "We can grab some coffee and you can take a look at what's in there."

He had reluctantly taken the bag while she ordered the coffee and sat down to wait for him. His vehement reaction surprised her a bit.

"I can't believe that you would even have that, much less ever wear it," he declared.

Puzzled, she unzipped the bad and peered in.

Okay, The sweat pants were pinkish.

"You have a problem with my salmon colored sweats?" she asked.

"Those aren't 'salmon,' Maria. They're pink." She opened her mouth to protest. "Hot pink."

She looked back in the bag. "Yeah, they are," she agreed. "But they're dry and I think they'd fit," she told him holding them up. "A bit snug, maybe, but they'd fit."

"But the shirt," he protested.

She looked at the tag of what appeared to be a white t-shirt. XXL. It wouldn't even be that tight.

"Look at it, Maria," he ordered through clenched teeth.

She pulled it out, choking back a laugh when she realized which one it was.

"It was a gag gift from Phil," she explained.

In the center was a picture of two kittens. One very fluffy black kitten with big, green eyes and a large red bow around his neck. In one paw, he was holding a lacy pastel pink heart with 'You're the Cat's Meow' written across it. He was offering it to the other kitten, an equally fluffy white kitten with matching big green eyes and a large pink bow on the top of her head. Behind her back, she was concealing pale blue heart bearing the word 'Purr-fect.'

"'Gag' is right," he agreed.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Though I had just recently given him a black leather merry widow. In a 4X."

Nick shuddered. "I'll have to remember not to dig through the bags he keeps in his car trunk."

She watched with narrowed eyes as he sat down across from her and reached for the hot drink. His hand was shaking and only the lid on the cup prevented it from sloshing out. Her eyebrow lifted as she caught his gaze.

"I am not wearing that," he told her firmly.

She took his cold hand in her own and pushed his sleeve back, running a hand over the chill bumps on his dark skin, then looked up at him.

"No," he shook his head.

"They're warm and dry," she told him.

"They're pink. And cute," he stated, the words rolling distastefully off his tongue.

"Dry."

"Girly."

"Warm."

"Pink," he enunciated. "With kittens."

His girlfriend gave him a hard stare. "And your machismo is more important than your health?" When he opened his mouth to respond, she took his hand and held his gaze. "I hate the thought of you being cold and wet and miserable," she told him softly, letting her eyes go wide and her voice soft. "It doesn't matter to me what you're wear. I'd rather you be warm and dry and healthy."

He looked into her wide eyes and sighed. "You don't exactly play fair," he told her.

"Nope," she answered smugly.

Picking up the bag, he headed back to the men's room. The smug smile stayed on her face as she continued to sip at her coffee. She experienced a moment of consternation when a group of teens entered the restaurant and took a a booth nearby.

When Nick came out of the restroom, they went quiet for a moment for a moment before the nudges and muffled laughs started. The man in the hot pink sweats and kitten t-shirt took a deep breath.

Maria reacted quickly. She stood, lowering the zipper on her sweater to give a better view of her cleavage. Moving towards Nick, she emphasized the sway of her hips as she reached him. With a low, throaty growl, she ran her hands down his chest before wrapping her arms around his neck. She pressed her body tight against his as she nipped at his lower lip, sliding her tongue into his mouth as he ran his hands down her back to cup her rear as she ground against him.

Finally breaking the kiss, she looked over at the teens. "There's just something so sexy about a man who can carry off pink and kittens."

Hooking her finger in the neck of his shirt, she pulled him down for another passionate kiss. "I cannot wait to get you home and out of these," she whispered loudly, tugging at the string on the sweatpants. With a wink at the group in the booth, she pulled the man along behind her, slowing only to refresh their drinks before heading back to the car.

Nick decided to believe that the glances he got were less amusement at his wardrobe than envy of the stunning woman wrapped around him.

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><p><em>As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I would love to know what you thought. When I think about the blessings of this past year, my kind readers and the wonderful reviews are among them. Each and every one of you are special to me.<em>

_Life is very busy right now, but I am still working on Another Alternative, Complications, Risks, Evening Stroll, and this and a couple of other ideas that are bugging me. Please be patient. Whatever your favorite may be, there is more bouncing around in my gray matter. It's just a matter of getting it out of my head and on paper (electronic document?) and posted. _

_Oh, and the t-shirt. There's probably something like that out there, put I don't actually have one. It's a product of my imagination. _


	7. Cosplaying

**Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate those who have followed, favorited, and especially, reviewed. You inspire me. I must confess, when I first saw this list, I had no idea what 'cosplaying' was. I had to look it up. Hopefully, I've got the concept right.**

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><p><span>Day 7:Cosplaying<span>

"Stark!"

'Hey, Hill, Looking good."

"I am not going out in public like this," she replied.

"Come on. It's for the kids. Remember?"

Stark Industries had donated a new wing to a local children's hospital with an emphasis on research and treatment of children's cancers. Today was the official ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration. Tony had decided on a 'Super Hero' themed party, since, as he said, the kids, their families, the doctors, nurses, and support staff were the ultimate super heroes.

XXXXXXXXXX

_"This is a really big deal for me and I'd really love to have all of you there," he told the team one afternoon they had all gathered to deconstruct an operation._

_The group had glanced at each other, shrugging. There were a number of mumbled comments that Tony chose to take as agreement._

_"And we can all dress up as super heroes," he enthused._

_"NO!" everyone called in unison._

_"But we're inviting a whole bunch of kids and their families. They'd be so excited to have a bunch of costumed heroes to see and take pictures with."_

_"So, hire people," Natasha told him._

_"But I want us to dress up," he whined._

_Maria snorted. "Go right ahead. Just don't expect the rest of us to."_

_"I'll pay."_

_"Not even you have enough money for that," Clint contributed, Steve and Nick nodding agreement._

_"A donation," Stark countered. "For each of you that agrees to come in a costume of my choosing, I'll make an additional donation to the hospital."_

_There was silence for several moments as everyone looked around the table._

_Someone finally spoke. "How much of a donation?"_

_He threw out a figure that made everyone's eyes go wide._

_"For each of you."_

_Not surprisingly, Steve was the first to surrender. "For the kids, right?"_

_Tony nodded. "Kids with cancer. Heart problems. Diabetes. Asthma."_

_The super soldier sighed. "I'm in."_

_"Me, too," Bruce agreed._

_Thor nodded solemnly. "In aid of the children."_

_"Why not?" Clint said with a shrug, nudging Natasha._

_She glared at Tony through narrowed eyes. "You choose the costumes?"_

_He swallowed hard, but nodded. "I choose the costumes."_

_After several more long moments of Nat glaring and Tony sweating, she finally nodded._

_"Pep? You're with me on this, right?"_

_She nodded somewhat reluctantly. "I suppose I don't have much choice, do I?"_

_"Not really," her husband replied. "So that just leaves the super spies." He focused his attention on Coulson, Fury, and Hill. "You're all in, right? I mean, you wouldn't ask your team to do something that you're not willing to do, would you?"_

_"I didn't ask my team to do anything, Stark. You did," Nick shot back,_

_Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Details. Don't you want to help the kids?"_

_Phil, Maria, and Nick looked at each other. Tony could almost swear he could sense thoughts bouncing between the trio._

_Coulson relented. "I guess I'm in. Just...nothing too wild, please."_

_"Agent. You'd consider a red tie too wild, wouldn't you?"_

_He smiled slightly. "When you find a look that works, what's wrong with sticking with it?"_

_"For some of us, they all work." Tony answered with his own smug smile, then looked to the director and his deputy. "So, now we just need the Pirate and his wench. What do you say?"_

_"No Pirate," Nick stated firmly._

_"And I think you should think very carefully about what I can do to you before you try going through with the 'wench' idea," Maria told him, her glare sending a shiver down his spine._

_"Take a note, Pep," Tony commented, looking across the table._

_She nodded. "No red ties, no pirates, no wenches."_

_"So? Two more donations to help the kids?" he asked, brow raised._

_"Two more donations," Nick agreed._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

"You said 'no wenches' and you are most definitely not a wench," he told her.

"No, but you're not exactly dressing up," she responded, "And this whole thing was your idea."

"I'm in costume."

"An Iron Man costume. How is that dressing up?"

The shoulders of the suit rose and fell in a shrug. "My marketing people said it's what's expected from me. Tony Stark throws a super hero party, people expect Iron Man. I'd be letting people down if I didn't show up in the suit. I'd be letting the kids down."

"And Steve and Thor?" Natasha asked, adjusting a wig of long, tangled read curls. "Why are they in their normal costumes?"

"More public relations stuff," Tony explained. "Captain America polled quite high in both popularity and recognition factors."

"Tell them how high," Pepper prodded.

"It's not important."

"Yes, it is," his wife insisted.

Maria realized that maybe she was a bit pissed off about her chosen costume as well.

Tony mumbled something quickly and quietly, then continued. "And Thor? Well, there's just not really much else you can do with him. He just IS Thor."

"I'm sorry," Phil interrupted. "What did you say about Cap?"

"First," Stark spit out through clenched teeth. "He polled first as the hero most people would like to meet," he admitted.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" the strawberry blonde in the formfitting Super-girl costume probed.

"Yes, it was." He gave her an annoyed look.

"And Phil?" Clint probed. "He's not in costume."

"Yeah I am," Phil protested. He pointed to his tie. "See? It's black. And I've got these." He quickly slid on a pair of dark sunglasses and pulled a slender silver tube with a red strobe from his jacket pocket. Then, he stepped over next to Nick who was dressed in and identical fashion.

"Men in black!" he declared.

"Really, Stark?" Natasha asked. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Tony shrugged "When you've got a guy with one eye and are told that pirates are out, you're kind of limited," he told her. "The sunglasses were a simple solution."

"I guess it's a little more creative than Bruce's." she conceded. "You're what? A doctor?"

"Let's see...lab coat. Stethoscope. Tongue depressor and penlight in my breast pocket. Name tag that says 'Dr. Bruce.' Yeah, I'm thinking I'm a doctor," Bruce confirmed.

"Doctors are heroes, too," Tony remarked defensively. "And, recognizable as he is, I didn't figure any of us really want the other guy there."

"Definitely not," everyone agreed.

"Look," Tony told them, "I just had these ideas for each of you and I went with it."

"I get Clint as Robin Hood," Bruce said. "You call him that half the time anyway. But who is Natasha supposed to be? I don't recall Maid Marian carrying a bow."

"Not Maid Marian," Tony corrected, "Princess Merida."

"Who?"

"Yeah, I had to do some research. Disney Princess. Fiery. Independent. No interest whatsoever in finding and marrying prince charming."

"I suppose that's okay," the assassin admitted.

"And Maria and I?" Pepper asked with a raised brow.

"You, Pepper, are, quite simply, super. You do it all." He grinned. "And the short skirt and knee boots are awfully sexy."

She glared at him a moment. "And Maria?"

"My costume is seriously lacking in fabric," she told him.

"But you've got the crown and the bracelets and the really cool lasso. Come on," he looked around. "Can you look at her and not think Wonder Woman? Especially after she wore that red, white, and blue bathing suit to our last get together."

Maria growled low in her throat and took a step towards him.

"It was Fury's idea!" he confessed quickly, taking a step back. "He suggested it! Said it was something he fantasized about."

She turned her glare to her lover. "Really?"

"Thanks for that, Stark," the director muttered.

"I wasn't about to take the fall for that," the billionaire answered.

As Maria continued to stare at him, arms crossed at her chest, Nick reached into his breast pocket and extracted the silver tube. He leaned over to Phil

"How does this neuralizer thing work?"

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><p><strong>And that wraps up that. I hope you liked. You know I'd love to hear from you. <strong>


	8. Shopping

**Another day...few days...another day's challenge completed. Thanks for sailorraven34 for the lovely review. I appreciate the feedback. And thanks to all who read and follow. **

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><p><span>Day 8: Shopping<span>

Pepper ended the call, staring at her phone. In the silence, Phil looked up, waiting for her to speak. His concern grew as the moment stretched out.

"Everything alright?" he finally asked.

She finally looked up at him and frowned. "Yeah. Everything's fine." She considered. "I think."

"You think?"

With a slow nod, she put the phone down. "That was Maria."

"She and Nick are down in Central America or South America right now, aren't they?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't say," the blonde responded. "She said they were going shopping."

"Knowing her, I'm sure she was thrilled about that," Phil chuckled.

Pepper looked at him. "Actually, that's what's so confusing. She did sound excited."

"About shopping?" the agent looked puzzled.. "You must have misunderstood. She couldn't have said 'shopping.' 'Shipping' maybe?"

"What's that?"

"Or 'shooting.' That makes a whole lot more sense."

"It would," she nodded, "But I'm positive she said 'shopping.'" Her eyes widened. "Ring shopping, maybe?" she asked, holding up her hand to indicate her wedding and engagement rings.

Phil stared at her. "I don't know."

XOXOXOX

Nick smiled down at Maria, stroking the hand that she had threaded through his arm. She responded with a dazzling smile of her own. He leaned down to kiss her lightly, then spoke sternly.

"Keep in mind. I want to get you something nice, but..."

"You don't want to overpay," she finished.

"Exactly."

With a nod, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, her poker face was firmly in place.

Side by side, they entered the building, scanning the scene laid out before them. They strolled along, occasionally stopping to casually glance at this or that.

"Looking for something for the lady?" one merchant asked. Before they could reply, he picked up an item from his display and held it out for their examination. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He slipped it into her hand. "What do you think?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

Maria examined it, holding it out for Nick's opinion as well. He took it, holding it up to make his own examination, then shrugged and handed it back to her.

She returned it to the merchant, telling him that they were still looking.

They continued browsing, occasionally stopping to look at a particular piece, ask questions, and listen to the merchants extol the virtues of their products.

"It may look a little plain," one man explained, "But it's fully customizable." He flipped open his tablet and turned it towards them. "You have your choice of metals. Does the lady like platinum?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Platinum is always nice."

"You can choose from a variety of stones, different sizes, colors, or shapes."

The screen flashed several different samples.

"Diamonds? Or something with a bit more color? Rubies?"

He was waiting for a response. "Diamonds, maybe. And emeralds. Princess cut."

She nodded at the graphic he showed.

"We can engrave any of numerous different designs or phrases or something or your own design."

They smiled and thanked him for his time before continuing their search.

"A little bit too cutesy," she told Nick quietly. He nodded agreement.

Another merchant presented them with a matching his & hers set. Again, they just nodded politely and walked away. Maria rolled her eyes.

Finally, after a long discussion over a late lunch, the made a decision and returned to the vendor of their choice. After some serious negotiating, they came to an agreement and made arrangements for payment and for delivery of their purchase, then headed for the exit.

"You're happy?" he asked, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Absolutely," she smiled up at him. "It's perfect. I can't wait to show it off."

"But you're still thinking about the other one, aren't you?"

"No," she protested. "I got what I wanted."

He started at her, eyebrow lifting slightly.

"Okay. Maybe a little," she admitted. "It's nice, but it's much too big and gaudy. I doubt I would get much use out of it and I would have to figure out where and how to store it." She shook her head and stretched up to kiss him soundly. "I think we made the right choice. Beautiful. Practical."

He pulled her close and returned her kiss. "Actually, I was thinking."

She watched him, waiting for him to continue.

"Why should you have to choose?"

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

Looking back towards the building they had just left, he inclined his head towards the sign over the door. "It's not every day I get to take the woman I love shopping at an International Arms Show. If she wants a handgun AND a bazooka, she's going to get a bazooka to go with her new handgun."

"Even though I don't really need one?"

"Who knows? There's a chance you might need it some day. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Besides, even if you don't NEED something, it can sure be fun."

She smiled broadly. "You're so good to me."

"May even pick up a couple of those dart guns you were eying, too," he added.

"You are so getting lucky tonight," she whispered.

"I'm always lucky," he replied.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's their shopping trip. I hope folks are still reading and enjoying. I'd love to hear from you.<strong>


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